Birmingham Post

City Warned of Ethnic Tensions

Birmingham has been warned it needs greater integration of its ethnic minorities to ease racial tensions and hostility towards asylum seekers and refugees. Although it has been hailed as a successful multi-cultural city, misconceptions and fears are being fuelled by residential segregation of white and ethnic minority communities, according to a left wing think tank.

'No Staff Cuts' in Ambulance Merger

Ambulance trusts in the West Midlands are to be merged as part of far-reaching reforms to emergency health care. There will be 'fewer, larger services' but no reductions in staff or vehicles, the Department of Health said.

Battle of the Railings Last Fight in Nelson Saga

Two hundred years after his death, the spirit of Britain's greatest naval hero is set to dominate a Birmingham planning committee as councillors fire the final shots in the 'Battle of Nelson's Railings'. Hammerson, owners of the pounds 550 million Bullring shopping centre, will appear before the committee today to be accused of acting unlawfully by failing to replace railings around the refurbished statue of Admiral Lord Nelson.

Live 8 Concert

Quotes From the Institute for Public Policy Research Report

'Our council actually pays asylum seekers and refugees to have driving lessons, they've sorted everyone out with cars.' Male, 25 to 50, Birmingham

Deporting Asylum Seekers to Zimbabwe 'Gross Injustice

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster yesterday joined calls for a moratorium on deporting failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe. He said such deportations would be 'a gross injustice' in the light of the conduct of Robert Mugabe's government.

Why I Really Want to Help Myself and Others ; Dritan Dema, Now 31, Arrived in Birmingham From Albania Nine Years Ago After Fleeing Slobodan Milosevic's Regime. At the Time, He Spoke Only Two Words of English and Quickly Realised That the Key to Successful Integration Lay Within Himself. This Is His Story

'I lived in Kosovo and then Albania before I sought asylum in Birmingham in June 1996. I was forced to flee because ethnic Albanians were suffering persecution from the Serbian police and military. 'As a Muslim ethnic Albanian, I couldn't live freely and we were not allowed to speak Albanian. At the time, I was required to join the Serbian army but didn't want to.

A Message From the Editor

We at The Birmingham Post are constantly endeavouring to improve and develop your daily offering of news, business, sport, features, magazines and supplements. From Saturday we will be introducing a new top-class personal finance columnist and from Monday, every day of the week, we will be bringing you a full page of puzzles, adding the addictive Sudoku and a selection of word and numerical teasers to the ever-popular existing crosswords, Magic Square and Nonagram. We will be running more let...

Fire Truce 'Still in the Balance

Firefighters in the West Midlands have accepted controversial changes to their working arrangements but union representatives said they had not withdrawn the threat of industrial action. Officials at the local branch of the Fire Brigades Union condemned the original West Midlands Fire Service plans as 'draconian' earlier this month, describing them as too disruptive and not family-friendly.

Rover Crisis May Force Colin to Work Again

Former MG Rover workers who retired before the car giant collapsed could lose much of their pensions. They include former finance director Colin Maycock, of Balsall Common, who worked at Longbridge for 38 years and faces losing two thirds of his entitlement.

Motorway Cattle Chaos

Motorists on one of the country's busiest motorways faced eight- mile tailbacks yesterday after a cow escaped from an overturned trailer. Drivers sat bumper to bumper on the southbound carriageway of the M42 around Birmingham while fire crews and police officers tried to catch the frightened beast. Another cow died when the cattle trailer overturned at junction five at Solihull shortly after 8am.

Brum to Go Green with Pounds 1.3m Project

Birmingham is set to become one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the country after winning a substantial grant to build a green energy centre. The Government has pledged pounds 1.3 million to build a pioneering energy facility in the city's Eastside development.

City Conference Looks to the Skies

Birmingham is to host a major international conference on the relevance of tall buildings in the 21st century. City council leader Mike Whitby has invited 25 architects with specialist knowledge in the construction of skyscrapers to discuss how high-rise structures can complement modern cities.

Businessmen Urged to Go On the Run for Charity

Birmingham businessmen are being urged to take part in a fundraising fitness challenge next week. The Cannon Hill Challenge event - being held in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston - involves a 4x1 mile relay for men's and mixed teams, and a 3x1 mile relay for women's teams.

Passport Scheme to Fight Truancy

Parents in Wolverhampton face having to apply for a 'passport' to take their child out of school to attend appointments such as the dentist. Under measures being considered by the authority to tackle truancy, pupils stopped without the pass will face disciplinary action.

Brum's Loan Shark Approach May Be Used Nationally

A scheme being piloted in Birmingham to tackle loan sharks is proving so successful that it could soon be rolled out across the UK, according to Consumer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe. The two-year project, which is costing the Government pounds 2 million, is the first of its kind in Britain and is aimed at clamping down on criminal gangs which illegally issue cash loans with high levels of interest.

Council Desecrated Graves, Says Mp

Gravestones were 'desecrated' by councils officials after they were judged to be unsafe, an MP has claimed. It follows safety inspections at cemeteries in Cannock, Staffordshire, where a force equivalent to a 35kg weight was applied to gravestones to see if they were unstable.

Bouncer Not Guilty of Killing

A bouncer has been cleared of murdering a stag night reveller outside Stringfellows nightclub in London. But an Old Bailey jury failed to agree on a second charge of manslaughter against Marcus Marriott.

Staffs Mp Given a Rousing Reception

Sir Patrick Cormack, the MP whose election was delayed for seven weeks, received a rousing cheer of support when he returned to the Commons yesterday - and a personal welcome from the Prime Minister. The delay was caused by the death of one of the original candidates. By law, this meant the election had to be stopped and nominations in the constituency re-opened.

Event Sees Birmingham Join Space Race

Birmingham will be put on the inter-galactic map today when it plays host to the British Festival of Space. The event at Millennium Point is the biggest showcase of Britain's involvement in the space race and advances in the field of astronomy. Visitors to the four-day festival will be able to find out about triumphs, such as the country's involvement in the Cassini Huygens mission to Saturn.